Charles E. Shea Senior High School and the City of Pawtucket: A community and a school in a more understandable context

Nolan McHale

Introduction
Hope Street, Providence. A recognizable stretch of road to almost any Rhode Islander. But continuing North, Hope street makes its way into the City of Pawtucket, at which point Hope becomes East Avenue, a road that Rhode Islanders might not be as quick to recognize. That is, until we are greeted by one of Pawtucket's historical landmarks, Charles E. Shea Sr. High School. A tan, stone building with two large flights of stone steps. The building accommodates 107 teachers and a student body 858 strong; a small/medium sized school that offers education to grades 9 through 12. But what many locals are interested in is the quality of the education being offered to these grades. It is important to many that students graduate... and with a proper education at that. Our concerns with education are well founded, as it is easy to see that education can help or hurt our community, depending on quality. But simply hoping for a good education does not make it happen. We must understand what prevents kids from receiving the right type of education, and in the process ask ourselves, what is a good education? There may not be a clear cut answer, but by delving into the statistics of a school and its community, we become equipped with the knowledge to form an educated opinion for ourselves.

This context statement seeks to summarize and analyze data relevant to Pawtucket's community, school district, and the welfare of Charles E. Shea Senior High School in Pawtucket. As such, it is fitting that the purpose of this context statement will be to inform the students of Shea High School of data that pertains to their school both directly and indirectly. Data will be broken up based on three overarching categories: community background of Pawtucket, Pawtucket school district, and Shea High School. In these three categories, data relevant to Pawtucket as well as its school district and most specifically Shea High School are compared to the data for other towns such as Central Falls and Barrington. In addition, many data sets compare statistics for Pawtucket to the state of Rhode Island as well as the US as a whole. This is done in order to give a frame of reference; to put Pawtucket and Shea High School in context. The data explored in the first subcategory of this context statement includes statistics for: Income/poverty, race/ethnicity, census based indicators, economic well-being, health, safety, and education. The data explored in the second subcategory of this context statement includes statistics for: NECAP assessments, qualifications and teacher-student ratios, student characteristics, attendance, four and five year graduation rates, incidents of suspension, and a per pupil spending analysis. The data set for the third and final subcategory of this context statement (Charles E. Shea High School Analysis) includes statistics for: NECAP exams, SAT exams, and AP exams, as well as the data mentioned for the second category (Pawtucket school district) specifically with regards to Shea High School.

Community Background of Pawtucket

Income/Poverty 2008-20012	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island	US
Median household income	$40,383	$56,102	$53,046
Median family income	$50,062	$72,872	$64,585
Per capita income	$22,281	$30,005	$28,051
All families below poverty level	15.2%	9.2%	10.9%
All people below the poverty level	18.7%	13.2%	14.9%
People without health insurance	15.3%	5.2%	14.9% (45.2 million)

The US median for household income is almost thirteen thousand dollars more, and for the state of Rhode Island, an incredible $15,719 more than the City of Pawtucket's median household income. For median family income, the gap is even greater. According to the United States Census Bureau, Rhode Island caps at $72,872 dollars for its median family income whilst the City of Pawtucket caps at a dismal $50,062, more than twenty thousand dollars lower (www.census.gov). Thus it is easy to understand why the poverty level in the City of Pawtucket hovers around 15.2% in comparison to the meager 9.2% state median. I have included the percentage of people without health care in Pawtucket vs. the state and US because it can be easy to forget that those who live below the poverty level often do not have health insurance. I find this important because lack of healthcare can, in turn, negatively effect the community. Pawtucket's rate of uninsured people (15.3%) is almost three times as high as that of the state (5.2%).

Race/Ethnicity 2010	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island	US
White	66.5% (47,289)	81.4%	72.4%
Black	13.4% (9,534)	5.7%	12.6%
Asian	1.5% (1,073)	2.9%	4.8%
Latino	19.7% (14,042)	12.4%	16.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.6% (445)	0.6%	0.9%
Puerto Rican	6.6% (4,729)	3.3%	1.5%

Within the city, the population is mostly white, however, according to the
United States Census Bureau, more than 40% is non-white. This includes a black population of 13.4%, much higher than the state (5.7%) as well as a Puerto Rican population of 4,729 people (6.6% of the population; more than four times as great as the percent of Puerto Ricans in the United States). Shea High School, from my many visits there, represents these figures quite accurately. It is interesting to note that Puerto Ricans represent almost a third of the Latino community in Pawtucket, which is quite a heavy concentration. It is for this reason that Puerto Rican culture is very much present within the city.

Census-Based Indicators 2010	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island
Child population	16,575	223,956
Children in single-parent families	43%	31%
Children living in families below the federal poverty threshold	27.4%	18.4%
Children living in grandparent headed households	7%	6%
Teen birth rate (per 1,000 girls age 15-19)	44.2	23.3

The amount of children living in single parent families may seem staggering (43%) but is not much higher than the state average (31%). What is staggering is the teen birth rate within the City of Pawtucket. A whopping 44.2 girls per 1,000 relative to the 23.3 per thousand in for the state rate. If a high school in Pawtucket had 400 girls (roughly the amount in Shea High School), there might be 16-20 girls pregnant or with a child. In the four years I attended Barrington High School, there was not a single girl to have a child (that I know of) though a girl in my grade did have a child immediately after high school. This data is important because it may have some sort of correlation with the high-poverty level in the City of Pawtucket.

Economic well-being 2013	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island
Children in families receiving cash assistance	6%	4%
School breakfast program participation (% income-eligible children participating)	25%	39%
SNAP benefits (food stamp users)	44.7% (7,414)	28.6% (63,971)

Though more than forty percent of the City of Pawtucket uses food stamps, only 25% of the income-eligible children participate in a school breakfast program. It is possible that there are income-eligible students using the school breakfast program whose parents do not use food stamps and income-eligible students not using the school breakfast program whose parents do use food stamps. It is important to understand that the percentage of food stamp recipients in the city does not necessarily correlate with that of income-eligible children who do or do not participate in a school breakfast program.

Health 2013	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island
Children under age 19 receiving medical assistance	10,436	96,215
Births to mothers with less than a high school diploma	19%	15%
Newborns exclusively breastfed	55%	62%

According to the city's official website, Pawtucket has a population of 71,148 residents meaning that a massive 14.6% (10,436) of the population is receiving medical assistance, and this only refers to children under the age of 19. This may coincide with the relatively low rate of exclusively breastfed infants (55%) based on the numerous studies that emphasize the importance of breast feeding for long term health. The low rate of exclusive breast feeding combined with the high rate of children living at or below poverty threshold (27.4%) might serve to explain the high percentage of medical assistance recipients under the age of 19. The amount of infants exclusively breastfed is only 7% higher for the state than for the district of Pawtucket and the percentage of births to mothers with less than a high school diploma in the state is only 4 points lower than that of Pawtucket (19%).

Safety 2012-2013	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island
Child abuse and neglect rate (per 1,000 children)	21.8	14
Domestic violence incidents (per 1,000 residents)	23	31
Children with incarcerated parents (per 1,000 children)	21.7	11.2

Domestic violence is lower on average in Pawtucket in comparison to the state average, however the rate of children with incarcerated parents is substantially higher than that of the state (21.7 per 1,000 compared with 11.2). It should not be assumed that domestic violence correlates with incarceration, however it must be taken into account that these figures are based on reported incidents, and unfortunately many violent domestic disputes go unreported.

Education 2013	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island
Early Head Start participants	40	503
Chronic early absence in grades k-3	10%	12%
Suspension rate	14%	23%
High school graduation rate	75%	80%
11th graders at or above math proficiency level	18%	36%
ESL/ELL	13%	7%
Chronic absence (high school)	42%	24%

The high school graduation rate for the City of Pawtucket (75%) is quite close to the state percentage (80%) however chronic absence among Pawtucket high school students is a hefty 42% which dwarfs the state percentage (24%). This may correlate with the amount of 11th graders at or above math proficiency level, which is half that of the state average (36%). As many of us might remember from our high school days, it doesn't take long to fall behind in math class, so this is an area where attendance may have a significant impact.

Pawtucket School District Summary

NECAP Assessments 2013-2014	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
3rd grade math	56%	40%	79%	29%
3rd grade reading	69%	57%	89%	43%
4th grade math	63%	50%	78%	42%
4th grade reading	70%	62%	88%	44%
4th grad science	41%	26%	68%	21%
5th grade math	61%	48%	85%	37%
5th grade reading	74%	66%	92%	44%
5th grade writing	64%	62%	79%	36%
6th grade math	59%	48%	82%	26%
6th grade reading	72%	67%	89%	34%
7th grade math	59%	48%	87%	19%
7th grade reading	69%	58%	91%	32%
8th grade math	57%	36%	90%	15%
8th grade reading	74%	62%	94%	39%
8th grade writing	56%	40%	79%	13%
8th grade science	30%	5%	71%	8%
11th grade math	35%	18%	79%	12%
11th grade reading	81%	70%	97%	53%
11th grading writing	66%	59%	81%	35%
11th grade science	30%	12%	58%	8%

The NECAP Assessments are used by states in New England to determine the proficiency levels of students for various school subjects. The assessments span from the third grade until junior year of high school. Above are the proficiency levels collected by the NECAP Assessment for Rhode Island as well as three specific districts: Pawtucket, Barrington, and Central Falls. Barrington and Central Falls have been selected in addition to the City of Pawtucket as a reference point. Central Falls is one of the poorest districts in Rhode Island. In contrast, Barrington is one of the wealthiest school districts in Rhode Island. As expected, the proficiency levels of students grades 3-11 fall somewhere between that of Central Falls and Barrington and mostly being closer in percentage to the statistics of Central Falls than of Barrington. The greatest gaps in proficiency seem to be in math and science. Only 18% of Pawtucket eleventh graders met the proficiency standards for math and only 12% for science compared to 79% and 58% respectively for Barrington. It comes as a bitter shock to see that only 58% of eleventh graders were at or above proficiency in science in one of the wealthiest school districts in the state of Rhode Island. The state average is much lower, 30% for science and 35% for math. From these statistics it would not be unfair to say that proficiency in science (as well as math) seem to be greatly inadequate, not just in Pawtucket but on the entire state level.

Qualifications and teacher-student ratio	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
teachers with emergency certification	1%	2%	0%	<1%
teacher-student ration (classroom teachers)	1:14	1:12	1:14	1:15

It is refreshing to see that among the many harsh statistics for Pawtucket schools, class size does not seem to be one of them. With a teacher-student ratio of 1:12, the average classroom size for schools in Pawtucket is two students smaller than that of Barrington and three smaller than that of Central Falls. 2% of teachers in Pawtucket schools have emergency certification which is higher than the 1% that the state boasts. It should be noted that no teachers in the Barrington school district have emergency certification and less than 1% are certified in Central Falls.

Student Characteristics	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
Student eligibility for subsidized lunch	47%	78%	6%	81%
Students receiving ESL/Bilingual education services	6%	11%	1%	17%
Students receiving special education	15%	14%	11%	20%

Based on some of the data that has been shown thus far, certain predictable trends emerge for Pawtucket as a district. For example, based on the fact that 15.2% of families in Pawtucket are below the poverty level, one might predict that many of the children who live in Pawtucket and attend Pawtucket schools would be eligible for subsidized lunch. In fact 78% of students in Pawtucket are eligible for subsidized lunch. This is just one example of trends that should be expected based on the income of families in Pawtucket. It is important to distinguish the difference between correlation and causality. Speaking English as a second language might correlate with lower test scores but this does not necessarily mean it is the cause of low test scores. The same can be said about the 11% of students in Pawtucket receiving ESL educational services. This statistic might have a correlation with the high percentage of students eligible for subsidized lunch, but is not necessarily the direct cause or effect of any other statistic.

Attendance	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
Attendance rate (elementary schools)	95%	95%	96%	93%
Attendance rate (middle schools)	94%	93%	96%	92%
Attendance rate (high schools)	92%	90%	95%	88%
Attendance rate (all schools)	94%	93%	96%	92%
Chronic absenteeism (high school)	24%	35%	7%	40%

Attendance rate is quite high for the state, the City of Pawtucket, Barrington, and Central falls. This is a perfect example of how statistics can sometimes be misleading. A 90% high school attendance rate might translate to a 35% chronic absenteeism rate (for high school students), as is the case for the City of Pawtucket. This rate of chronic absenteeism is five times higher than that of Barrington, and only 5% shy of Central Falls' dismal 40% chronic absenteeism rate. So how is it that Central Falls has a 40% chronic absenteeism rate when it has an 88% attendance rate for all of the district's high school students? These are questions that should be kept in mind when making assumptions based on data. There are many possible factors that could have created this discrepancy, and unfortunately the data does not note what those factors are.

Four year graduation rate (students entering grade 9 in 2009-2010)	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
Percent graduated	79.7%	75.5%	95.3%	73.7%
Percent dropped out	9.1%	12.5%	1.6%	15%
Percent received GED	2.9%	4.6%	0.4%	1.9%
Percent still in school	8.3%	7.4%	2.7%	9.4%

As mentioned earlier, sometimes one can expect certain correlations to emerge based on the data we have. This is exemplified by the statistics collected for this particular data set. 12.5% of students in Pawtucket dropped out of school, and 12% either received a GED or are still finishing school. This matches perfectly with the 24.5% who did not graduate high school. Similarly, 1.6% of Barrington students dropped out and 3.1% either received a GED or are still finishing school. This matches perfectly with the 4.7% who did not graduate high school in Barrington. Graduation rate has become one of the poster-child statistics for how a school is 'doing' however graduation rate is not always indicative of the quality of education in that school.

Five year graduation rate (students entering grade 9 in 2008-2009)	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
Percent graduated within 4 years	77.3%	66.8%	93.7%	68.1%
Percent graduated in 5 years	3.6%	6.3%	2.3%	5.7%
Percent graduated within 5 years	80.9%	73.1%	96%	73.8%

As shown by the data, most students who require more credentials to graduate reach their goal in less than a year (meaning they graduated within four years). For Rhode Island, 80.9% of students who attended high school graduated within four or five years. Only 3.6% needed the fifth full-length school year to finally attain the necessary credentials. This trend is reflected by all three districts. Of the 73.1% of Pawtucket students who graduated high school within 4-5 years, only 6,3% graduated required the extra fifth year.

Incidents of Suspension	Rhode Island	City of Pawtucket	Barrington	Central Falls
Number of incidents (elementary school)	2,815	331	0	3
Number of incidents (middle school)	11,537	567	32	358
Number of incidents (high school)	17,944	351	103	117

351 high school students were suspended in the Pawtucket district which seems much higher than Central Falls (117) and Barrington (103). It is important to remember that Pawtucket has more high schools in its district than Central Falls or Barrington, which would serve to explain why the number is so much higher for Pawtucket. It is interesting that though Central Falls only has one more middle school than Barrington (total of two), there were an astonishing 358 reported incidents within those Central Falls middle schools. Splitting Central Falls' number of incidents in half, we are given a ratio of 5.6 incidents occurring in a Central Falls middle school for every 1 incident that occurs in Barrington Middle School.

Per Pupil Spending by Function Summary	Total per pupil (in district)	Total per pupil (Rhode Island)
City of Pawtucket	$12,441	$15,370
Barrington	$13,586	$15,370
Central falls	$18,910	$15,370

Often times we assume that school districts that have low graduation and academic proficiency rates need more funding and as seen by the data, they do , in fact, receive more funding than that of a school district with higher rates (such as Barrington). But one must also remember that the funding a suburban school receives is not necessarily utilized in the same way funding for an urban school is; meaning that urban schools have expenses which suburban schools do not, therefore what may seem like adequate per pupil spending for an urban school (in comparison to a suburban school) might not in fact be adequate at all.This is largely due to the difference in income of the residents in a particular district. For example, a suburban school might not need as many buses because many of the parents can drive their kids, or the student has their own car. A suburban school might not need to supply subsidized or free lunch to as many students because the parents can afford to make their child's lunch or give them money for one. A suburban school may not spend as much money on utilities because the building may be newer and more energy efficient. A suburban school may not need as many teachers who provide ESL bilingual services, because there might be less ESL minorities in the school. These are just some of the expenses an urban school might have to pay more for in comparison to a suburban school. With this in mind, we can understand Central Falls may not have adequate funding despite the fact that it spends over $5,000 more per pupil for its school district than Barrington. The same could be said for the City of Pawtucket, which spends $12,441 per pupil within its (mostly urban) school district in comparison to Barrington's (suburban) school district which spends $13,586 per pupil.

Charles E. Shea Senior High School Analysis

NECAPS	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
11th grade math	35%	15%	79%	12%
11th grade reading	81%	61%	98%	53%
11th grade writing	66%	54%	82%	35%
11th grade science	30%	11%	58%	8%

In all four overarching topics in which NECAPS tests proficiency, Charles E. Shea Senior High School (Shea) and Central Falls Senior High School (CF) did much more poorly than Barrington Senior High School (BHS). Of the proficiency gaps, math is the most alarming. 64% more students were at or above proficiency in 11th grade math in BHS than in Shea and 67% more than CF. The next greatest gap is seen in science. 47% more students were at or above proficiency in 11th grade science in BHS than in Shea and 50% more than CF. In all four tested categories, Shea had a lower proficiency than that of the state average.

SAT Exams	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrignton HS	Central Falls HS
Mathematics average	479	405	597	410
Reading average	478	383	582	390
Writing average	473	382	570	375

Once again, Shea's students tested lower than the state average for SATs and the greatest gap was in mathematics. Similarly, CF also displayed it's greatest weakness in mathematics and was below state average.

AP Exams	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrignton HS	Central Falls HS
Number of exams taken	6,717	34	526	96
Number of students to take exam	4,150	30	283	74
Exams scored at college level mastery	3,674	9	465	23
% scored at college level mastery	55%	26%	88%	24%

55% of high school students in Rhode Island who took the AP exams scored at college level mastery. Less than half of that percentage scored at college level mastery for both Shea and CF. It is interesting to note that CF has 131 students less (727 total) than Shea yet more than twice as many students took the AP exams and almost three times as many scored at college level mastery.

Qualifications and student-teacher ratio	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Teachers with emergency certification	1%	2%	0	1%
Teacher-student ratio (all teachers)	1:11	1:18	1:11	1:11

Though CF is considerably smaller in student population in comparison to BHS (727:1027) it has the same teacher-student ratio as BHS. This is due to the fact that BHS has employed more teachers (96) than CF (76). Shea has a much higher teacher-student ratio of 1:18. It should also be noted that these ratios are based on all employed teachers, not just classroom teachers, therefore, the classroom teacher to student ratio may be even higher. Though Barrington has the greatest student population of the three schools, it has no teachers with emergency certification.

Student Characteristics	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Student eligibility for subsidized lunch	47%	86%	6%	72%
Students receiving ESL/Bilingual education services	6%	24%	<1%	15%
Students receiving special education	15%	14%	11%	25%

Nearly a quarter of the students at Shea are receiving ESL education services and is four times higher than the state average (6%). A quarter of the students in CF receive special education, which is equal to the percentage of BHS and Shea special education recipients combined.

Attendance	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Attendance rate	92%	88%	95%	88%
Chronic absenteeism	24%	42%	7%	40%

Shea has six times the rate of chronic absenteeism as BHS (42%) and is 18% higher than the state average. CF is quite close in absenteeism to Shea (only 2% less) and both have the same attendance rate (88%).

Four year graduation rate (students entering grade 9 in 2009-2010)	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Percent graduated within 4 years	79.7%	83.3%	95.6%	73.8%
Percent dropped out	9.1%	8.6%	1.2%	14.8%
Percent received GED	2.9%	4.1%	0.4%	1.9%
Percent still in school	8.3%	4.0%	2.8%	9.5%

Shea high school has a higher percent of four year graduates than the state average, as well as (by percentage) more GED recipients and less drop outs. Comparatively, CF has smaller percent of four year graduates, less GED recipients (by percentage), and more drop outs (by percentage) than the state average.

Five-year graduation rate (students entering grade 9 in 2008-2009)	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Percent graduated within 4 years	77.3%	67.4%	94.6%	69.6%
Percent graduated in 5 years	3.6%	5.8%	2.4%	5.4%
Percent graduated within 5 years	80.9%	73.2%	97%	75%

In Shea High School, only 73.2% graduated within five years; 67.4% of which graduated within four years and the remaining 5.8% required five years. By comparison, the state average was higher for both four year and five year graduates and lower for graduates who needed an entire extra year. CF had more students graduate within five years than Shea and more students graduate within four years, however only 0.4% less required an entire fifth year to graduate than Shea.

Incidents of Suspension	Rhode Island	Shea HS	Barrington HS	Central Falls HS
Number of incidents in high school	17,944	125	103	117

Shea had more suspensions than BHS and CF with a total of 125 incidents resulting in suspension. This is 0.7% of the total number of suspensions in Rhode Island. It should be noted that Central Falls only had 14 more suspensions than Barrington, and both districts only have one public high school. It is important to note that Barrington High School has a larger student population than Central Falls, meaning that the ratio of incidents to students is much smaller for Barrington.

Conclusion

Income/Poverty 2008-20012	City of Pawtucket	Rhode Island	US	Barrington	Central Falls
Median household income	$40,383	$56,102	$53,046	$103,211	$29,286
Median family income	$50,062	$72,872	$64,585	$123,982	$35,222
Per capita income	$22,281	$30,005	$28,051	$50,796	$14,973
All families below poverty level	15.2%	9.2%	10.9%	1.2%	27%
All people below the poverty level	18.7%	13.2%	14.9%	1.9%	30.4%
People without health insurance	15.3%	5.2%	14.9% (45.2 million)	3.8%	30.4%

I wanted to include this table lastly because of its importance with regards to the Pawtucket and its school district.

As many of us already know, much of a school district's funding is derived from the property tax payed by that district's residents. Property tax is money collected by the city/town from a home owner. The amount taken is usually based on the value of the property/estate, thus districts where the homes and properties are more expensive pay more in property tax, which in turn offers more money for the town to use. Because of this, towns that have a high property tax are only available to those who have the adequate annual income to afford to live in such places, and this money goes to good use. Anyone who drives to Barrington, one of Rhode Island's wealthiest towns, is greeted with well groomed lawns, clean looking shops and businesses, and a handsome library built next to an equally beautiful town hall. The things that money can do for a town is apparent when we look at an affluent community such as this, but the money doesn't stop at the well groomed lawns and freshly painted buildings. Barrington High School consistently scores among the highest schools, not just in Rhode Island, but in New England. The school itself is new and clean, with fresh faced faculty and a generous amount of technology at the school's disposal. Many of the upperclassmen of the school have their own cars. Compare this to Central Falls, one of the poorest districts in Rhode Island. Many of the streets are in a state of disrepair, and some traffic lights do not light up, but simply stand as silent sentinels over the street. Many of the buildings have security bars over the windows. There are liquor stores and pawn shops that line Dexter street (one of the main streets in Central Falls). Central Falls high school is an older building with barred windows and patched paint covering spray paint, no doubt from some of the very students who go there. The median household income is substantially higher in Barrington compared to Central Falls ($103,211 to $29,286 respectively), so it comes as no surprise that the school is lacking the crucial funds it needs to offer its students an above average education. So what does this lack of funding translate to? With regards to the school, lower SAT and AP scores, higher dropout rates, and lower graduation rates. Charles E. Shea Senior High School fits into this trend perfectly. As noted in the very first data summary, 'The US median for household income is almost thirteen thousand dollars more, and for the state of Rhode Island, an incredible $15,719 more than the City of Pawtucket's median household income.' It comes as no surprise that the amount of families living in poverty in Pawtucket is also higher than the state and national average. 1 in 6 families live in poverty in the City of Pawtucket compared to 1 in 100 in Barrington. The median family income is $50,062 in Pawtucket compared to $123,982 in Barrington. More low income families live in Pawtucket relative to Barrington because housing is more affordable; consequently there is less property tax being pulled in by the city and thus less money to fund Shea High School with. Per pupil spending is roughly one thousand less in Pawtucket's district compared to Barrington ($12,441 to $13,586 respectively) which may not seem like much of a gap, however, as mentioned earlier, schools in urban low income districts often need more funding than suburban schools.

What important findings can be extrapolated from this context statement? Based on the data, we see some emerging trends that should not be overlooked. Lower income families live in districts where housing is more affordable, and thus the children of these families go to school in the district and receive an education that matches the value of the property. Lower property value means lower property tax means less per pupil funding means lower scores and graduation rates. Though property tax is an efficient way for the residents of an affluent district to fund their schools, it is inadequate for districts serving lower income families with school age children. It is hard to say where this funding should come from, but based on the data reviewed, it can be concluded that lower income districts such as the City of Pawtucket need an alternate source of school funding to improve the welfare of the school district and most importantly the schools within them.

References

City of Central Falls official website (2014). Retrieved from http://www.centralfallsri.us/

City of Pawtucket official website (2014). Retrieved from http://www.pawtucketri.com/

RI Kids Count. (2012-2013). Retrieved from http://www.rikidscount.org/matriarch/default.asp

Town of Barrington official website (2014). Retrieved from http://www.barrington.ri.gov/

United States Census Bureau. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/

Votta, P. (2013). Info works! Rhode Island Education Data Reporting. Retrieved from http://infoworks.ride.ri.gov/


Peer Evaluation / Feedback for EDC 102 Context Statement



Author: Nolan McHale



Editor: Kiah Marcotte



Total Score for this Evaluation: 28/35 pts







The purpose of the context statement in EDC 102 is to provide each student with an opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability to research a school, its district, and its community in order to better understand its strengths and challenges. Each report should describe their school based solely on evidence that they cite in their Reference section.







As a peer editor, your tasks are:

• Read author's report.
• Carefully evaluate report by assigning a score for each criterion
• provide constructive comments that will help the strengthen the author's report for each category.
• Create a link to your evaluation at the end of the report.

---

Introduction: 5/5 points







5: Intro provides an overview of the upcoming analysis, including what school/district/community is being analyzed, what aspects are being analyzed, and who the report is intended to inform.



4: Intro names the school/district/community and previews the scope of the report, but does not describe who the report is intended to inform.



3: Intro names the school/district/community but not much else.



2: Intro fails to name the school, district, and/or community.



0: No introduction section is apparent.



Comments on report's introduction: Great intro!







Organization: 5/5 points







5: Report includes the following sections: Introduction, Community, District, School, Conclusion, References.



4: Report includes all sections but does not break information into paragraphs, has few transitions, or is otherwise lacking in coherence.



3: Report is missing one section.



2: Report is not divided into sections but contains some information on each.



1: Report is missing two or more sections.



Comments on report's organization:







Mechanics: 5/5 points







5. All information is cited using APA in-text citations. A properly formatted References section appears at the end of the report. There are few typos or errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax.



4: Most information is cited and referenced using APA format. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax but they do not interfere with meaning.



3: Some information is not cited or referenced. APA format not followed or followed incorrectly. There are some errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax that interfere with meaning.



2: Most of the information is not cited. APA formatting is negligible or nonexistent. Multiple errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax interfere with meaning.



0: No citations. No references. Myriad errors in spelling, grammar, or syntax make the report a chore to read.



Comments on report’s mechanics/conventions: Good job!







Creativity: 3/5



5. Report is engaging and colorful. Charts, graphs, and images add professionalism and interest and are well integrated into the report.



4: Report contains some interesting sections. Charts, graphs and images are relevant and add interest to the report.



3: Report appears dull. Information is reported in a disengaged manner. Charts, graphs, and images add little to the report.



Comments on report's creativity: Add some colors!







Conclusion:0/5



5: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community and describes why findings should be important to reader.



4: Conclusion reviews analysis of school, district and community



3: Conclusion does not report back to report's findings



1: Conclusion simply praises or condemns the school.



0: No conclusion.



Comments on report's conclusion: Don’t forget your conclusion!







Data/Analysis: 10/10



5: Report includes at least ten different facts in each section (school, community, district) and compares each figure with another relevant figure (e.g. state or national average).



4: Report includes at least eight different facts in each section and compares most figures with relevant figures.



3: Report includes at least six different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.



2: Report includes at least four different facts in each section and compares some of the figures to other relevant figures.



0: Report includes less than four different facts for any section or fails to compare any figures with other relevant figures.



Comments on data/analysis/General comments: